Valentine’s Day Chocolate Cake

Nope, she’s definitely not going to like this one. My wife is a very private person. So, open displays of affection – such as my dedicating this simple chocolate cake to her, are not her style (see picture below). Now having come from a family of huggers that openly display affection through hugs – it’s true, we hug everyone, you’d think she’d be used to it. But it’s okay, it’s worth it. All will be forgiven when she tastes this cake. I won’t say any more about her (in this blog) as I think I’ve said enough.

On with the blog, I had been searching for a good chocolate cake recipe for a very long time. I received recipes from friends, tasted hundreds of cakes but never ever found a chocolate cake that I liked quite as much as this one. It’s from the label on a Ghirardelli Cocoa Powder tin. So give this a try, of course fill and frost it, or leave it plain and have a slice with a glass of milk. What a combination. As always – enjoy!

Ingredients
2 cups all-purpose flour
¾ cup Ghirardelli Unsweetened Cocoa
1 tsp baking powder
1 tsp baking soda
½ tsp salt
1 cup butter, softened
1 ¾ cup sugar
2 tsp vanilla
2 large eggs
1 1/3 cup milk (I used 1 cup 1% and 1/3 cup whipping cream)

Preheat oven to 350F
Grease and lightly flour two 9”x2” round cake pans
Using your mixer, cream the butter and sugar – medium high speed, about 4 minutes
While they are creaming, in a medium bowl, sift together the – flour, cocoa, baking powder, baking soda and salt
Reduce the speed on the mixer to low and add the eggs – one at a time, and vanilla, to the butter/sugar mixture – scraping after each addition (make sure you scrape the bottom of the bowl as well)
Starting and ending with the flour – and alternating with milk, add the flour and milk to the mixer – yes please make sure it is on low speed
Continue to mix until it is smooth – pour equally into each pan
Bake for 25 – 30 minutes (my convection oven was done at 26 minutes at 350F) – a tooth pick inserted should come out clean
Let cakes cook 10 minutes in the pan, then run a knife around the edges and flip out onto a wire rack – be careful, if it is warm – your cake will crumble
Once cool, slice in the middle, fill with fresh strawberries, butter cream icing, raspberry preserves, some alcohol such as Grand Marnier or Baileys, or anything your heart desires – I used marmalade and Grand Marnier – orange and chocolate – a match made in heaven
Slather some Chocolate butter cream icing on top and you are good to go
As always – enjoy!